Meaning of 切
Definitions from CC-CEDICT.
- to cut; to slice; to carve
- (math.) tangential
- definitely; absolutely (not)
- (scoffing or dismissive interjection) Yeah, right.; Tut!
- to grind
- (bound form) close to
- (bound form) eager
- to correspond to
- (used to indicate that the fanqie 反切[fan3 qie4] system should be applied to the previous two characters)
How to use 切
As a verb, 切 (qiē) is the everyday word for cutting food or slicing things in the kitchen. Example: 我来切西瓜。(Wǒ lái qiē xīguā.) I'll cut the watermelon.
The right side of 切 is 刀 (dāo), a knife. Picture a knife making a cut through something on the left, and you have 切 (qiē), to cut or slice.
Common mistake: Learners often say qiē in words like 一切 (yīqiè), 亲切 (qīnqiè) and 密切 (mìqiè), but these use the fourth tone qiè. Use first tone qiē only when it means physically cutting, as in 切断 (qiēduàn).
切 in example sentences
Real sentences from the Tatoeba project, with pinyin and English.
Stroke order for each character
Open a character for its meaning, components and more words.
切 qiē · to cut · 4 strokes
- 1
- 2
- 3
- 4
Related words
Words that share a character with 切.
| 一切 | yīqiè | everything; every |
| 亲切 | qīnqiè | amiable; cordial |
| 密切 | mìqiè | close; intimate; to strengthen (ties, cooperation etc) |
| 迫切 | pòqiè | urgent; pressing |
| 切实 | qièshí | feasible; realistic |
| 切断 | qiēduàn | to cut off; to sever |
| 确切 | quèqiè | definite; exact |
| 切除 | qiēchú | to excise; to cut out (a tumor) |
| 切割 | qiēgē | to cut |
| 深切 | shēnqiè | deeply felt; heartfelt |
| 贴切 | tiēqiè | close-fitting; closest (translation) |
| 切身 | qièshēn | direct; concerning oneself |
Questions about 切
What does 切 mean?
切 (qiē) means "to cut; to slice; to carve; (math.) tangential" and is used as a verb.
How do you write 切?
切 is made of 1 character: 切 (4 strokes). That is 4 strokes in total.
Is 切 an HSK word?
Yes. 切 is on the HSK 4 vocabulary list of the HSK 3.0 standard.
What does 一切 mean and how is it used?
一切 (yīqiè) means everything or all. It often appears before a noun, as in 一切顺利 (yīqiè shùnlì), everything goes smoothly.
Why do people say 切 as an interjection?
In casual speech, 切 (qiè) is a dismissive sound like "Yeah, right" or "Tut". It shows you don't believe or don't care about what someone said, so use it only with friends.